S.A.R.A.Alberto Mennella – TopView srl

Gallipoli, November 16 2018

Company ProfileTopView SRL is an innovative SME founded in October2013 to explore the new growing market of remotepiloted aircraft systems (RPAS).

Mission: study, research and development of complexsystems based on autonomous & remote piloteddevices for aerial, maritime and terrestrial applications,including advanced payloads and sensors.

The Headquarter is in San Nicola La Strada(CE), Italy; two more operating centres areinside University Campus in Napoli(Federico II Campania New Steel - AppleAcademy) and in Benevento (Unisannio)

SARA: Search And Rescue Aid and Surveillance using High EGNSS Accuracy

✓ SARA is a semi-autonomous system composed by a tethered drone and its hangar, tightlycoupled onboard a vessel through a strong kevlar cable, used for power supply and datatransmission;

✓ Its main advantage is to deploy in a very short time a Virtual Pylon up to 100 meters above thevessel for persistent flight operations in night and day conditions.

✓ SARA solution is a clear response coming from institutional stakeholders needs, requestinga technological support for S.A.R. operation to the increasing migratory flows, in theMediterranean Sea.

✓ Purpose of SARA project is to design, prototype and start to commercialize a tailored solutionfor niche S.A.R. market and in other side markets.

Abstract

RPAS

extended area

normal area

✓ Extended surveillance area (RPAS area);

✓ Cost-effective solution compared to Helicopter operations;

✓ Identification and geo tagging of floating objects or hot objects in the darkness;

✓ Shorter surveillance time;

✓ More reliable surveillance and fast deployment solution;

✓ Continuity of Service during S.A.R. operations;

✓ Easier Take-off/Landing procedures;

Needs

Test activities with Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera Napoli) Needs

✓ A preliminary proof-of-concept of SARA, for detection of survivors in the sea wasimplemented in July 2015 and tested on board a class 200 vessel of Italian Coast Guard

✓ Tests were performed with a small drone for CONOPS verification;

✓ A low resolution thermic sensor (FLIR Lepton, 80x60 pixels) was used to validate themathematical algoritm (Mixed Pixel model) in an environment with a low thermicgradient;

✓ Onboard the vessel thermal / optical video stream was available in real time to terminalwith software elaboration.

Needs

Test activities with Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera Napoli – July 2015)

Needs

Reference community

✓ Continuity of service during S.A.R. operations;

✓ Persistent Surveillance during navigation;

✓ Power over cable for extended flight time operations;

✓ Secure data download from payload through cable up to 200 Mbps;

✓ C2 link data security & integrity through cable

o (X/S/C Band Vessel’s Radar, VHF distress equipment)

o Spoofing rejection

✓ Physical constraint to limit the RPAS envelope of flight, easing authorization requests;

✓ Mechanical aid for landing

Tethered cable added value

Implementation

Drone Recharging station and winch mechanism TOPVIEW patent N. 102015000030672 filed on July 2015, granted in Feb. 2018

2015-2018

2018-2020

Patent filing process…

EGNSS as key-enabling technology

1. …Ship following

2. …baseline measurement

3. …GNSS Integrity information

winchmechanism

(cable integrity)

emergency landing procedure

Application

Application

SARA Consortium

SARA preliminary tests onboard vessel Nawigator XXI